Ford Fusion Energi News

In a blog post yesterday, Ford’s product development director for electric cars said, “We are being tasked to set the future trajectory of the company.” That’s a big assignment for Darren Palmer and his co-workers at Ford Team Edison, the company’s dedicated EV group located in new digs in an old factory in the heart of Corktown, Detroit’s oldest neighborhood.

Ford last week confirmed that it stopped production of its C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid—and will soon cease production of the conventional hybrid version of the hatchback. “Ford C-Max Energi production has ended,” Dan Jones, Ford's North America Car Communications Manager, told Green Car Reports. While the plug-in hybrid variant of the C-Max is on track to have its best year of sales yet, sales of the no-plug C-Max hybrid have dropped by 18 percent compared to last year.

The all-electric version of the 2017 Honda Clarity started arriving in dealerships in the past few weeks. The full-size sedan, which is only available in California and Oregon, leases for $269 a month for 36 months with $1,999 due at signing. The all-electric Clarity can travel 89 miles on a single charge. That puts Honda in the unfortunate position of introducing an EV with a driving range significantly lower than the new generation of electric cars.

Volkswagen will introduce a new electric car—about the size of the Golf and able to go more than 200 miles on a single charge—by 2019. Meanwhile, according to a new report in Automotive News, Ford is planning to launch its own 200-plus-mile electric car in early 2019. Ford is expected to use “Model E” as the brand name for a family of compact cars using hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric powertrains.

Hyundai has released a few new details about the 2016 Sonata Plug-In Hybrid, its answer to competing mid-size sedans that can run on electricity for a first set of miles. What do we know about availability, range and power? (Still no word on pricing.)

If you are considering the purchase of a plug-in hybrid from Ford, March might be the time to make the move. According to Ford’s corporate website, outgoing 2014 Fusion Energi models can receive about $3,500 in combined manufacturers discounts—and $4,000 on a 2014 C-Max Energi.

It’s no secret that Ford’s big vehicle electrification plans—essentially to offer some form of “electrified” version for each model in its lineup—center on hybrid and plug-in hybrid drivetrains. Earlier this month, Ford gave the clearest indication yet that it considers electric cars a poor cousin to its hybrid lineup.

Ford’s 2013 Fusion Energi, which I purchased in late July, is a wonderful car. I bought the plug-in hybrid Fusion, first of all, to help save the planet. However, it’s also gorgeous, is built to world-class standards, is a technological marvel, and, in my view, is fairly priced when all things are considered. I’ve now driven 200 miles and have yet to use a single drop of gas!

You get about the same percentage of pure electric miles from a series plug-in hybrid, like a Volt, as you do from a series-parallel plug-in hybrid, like the Ford Fusion Hybrid. That’s according to data from Ford and General Motors. Which technology you prefer may come down to the length of your commute and the size of your pocketbook.